But why run your own event? Well, firstly, it's a new experience, a chance to interact with new people and bring forward your creative side. Running an event carries its own enjoyment as you get to bring people together. Putting forward new ways of expression that you may not have thought of before.
So how do you run an event? Well, that's entirely up to you, it's your event! Have people join dressed up as pirates or start off with a film quote. You can even use Doodleledo as a segment of your own event. If you want to play music in the background for a unique tone, go for it, you could even include a small gaming session, getting everyone up and enjoying themselves.
One way to engage your audience whilst running a virtual event is the element of surprise. Fun games such as spinning plates where the goal is simply to keep a plate spinning for as long as possible can break away from the norm. These slight breaks away from normality helps the audience engage in something they may not have done before or have not done in a long time. Get everyone to discuss and interact with this as well. Have the group share tips on the best ways to keep the plate spinning, encourage teamwork.
Working with virtual events during Covid-19 has changed this slightly. Keeping your audience engaged on a screen can seem a more daunting task than it would be at a live show, but this can be averted by keeping your events shorter and interacting with your audience whilst in a much more visual way. For example, setting a task and joining in, explaining briefly what you’ve created then pick a few members of the audience to show their work and give a brief rundown of it. Getting feedback from other audience members is a great way to make sure everyone feels involved and enjoys themselves.
Yet, remember to keep the pace, you don’t want to rush through the activities and find yourself lost. You also don’t want to drag the event out and leave everyone tired looking at their phones. You won't have to keep a steady yet energised pacing. Simply Map out a loose time for each activity, Keeping your audience on their toes.
Allow your audience to to feel free and not pinned down in a tiny box on their screen. You want them to enjoy their time with you, rather than waiting for the end call sound.
So to summarise what we’ve looked at within this blog:
Be surprising - Keep them engaged by making sure they don’t know what's coming next!
Stay engaging - Don’t slow the pace too much and make sure everyone is involved.
Keeping a good pace - Keep calm and don’t rush your material.
